English for everyone

Category Archive: рассказы и сказки

Mr Parker Pyne liked the Hotel Pino d’Oro at once. Unlike other hotels in Majorca, it was small and peaceful. It stood on the edge of the sea and the view was breathtaking.
At a quarter to ten, Mr Parker Pyne went out onto a small terrace bathed in a dazzling morning light and ordered a cup of coffee. There were four tables there. At the nearest sat a family of father and mother and two elderly daughters— Germans. At the corner of the terrace, sat what were clearly an English mother and son. The woman was about fifty-five and the young man was about twenty-five. They made little jokes together and seemed to be on very good terms. As they talked, her eye met that of Mr Parker Pyne and he felt that he had been recognized as English.More »

I was in the canteen, when he came over. He put his tray on the table and sat down. His name was Jock. I’d seen him around the camp, but we’d never spoken to each other and I was surprised that he’d chosen my table when so many others were vacant. He looked at the book that lay open on the table before me.
“Always see you with a book. Never got your nose out of one.”
I was silent.
“Hear you do a bit of writing too,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Had some printed.”More »

My name is Margaret Leary and I’m twelve years old. I haven’t any brothers or sisters, but I’ve got a nice father and mother except that they don’t pay much attention to me. And anyway, we never thought we’d have anything to do with a murdered woman.
I’ll tell you how it happened. It was in the middle of July. It was hot and Mother said to me, “Margaret, go to the shop and buy some ice cream. It’s Saturday, Dad’s home for lunch, so we’ll have a treat.”
I ran out across the bombed site behind our house. It was a big piece of ground where the kids played and there was broken glass and stuff.
On my way back from the shop with the ice cream I was just walking along, minding my own business, when all of a sudden it happened. I heard the Screaming Woman.
I stopped and listened. It was coming up from out of the ground. A woman was buried under the rocks and dirt and glass, and was screaming for someone to dig her out.
I just stood there, afraid, and she kept screaming. Then I started to run. I fell down, got up again and ran some more.More »

It all began one night when a witch flew by my window. Yes, it was a witch. She was old and ugly and she had a big black hat on.
«Hello, Walker,” cried the witch.
“Hello,» I said.
“Do you want to see a flying saucer?”
“Which flying saucer?» I asked, “The big flying saucer with the stripes,” she cried. “Just like your pyjamas.”
“Just like my pyjamas? Where is it?” I asked.
“It’s in the middle of the field, just behind your house,” she cried and flew away.
I couldn’t believe that a flying saucer could have the same stripes as my pyjamas, so I got up, put on my shoes and went out.More »

It was a cold morning in October. Holmes and I were sitting by the fire when Mrs Hudson knocked at our door.
“There’s a telegram for you, Mr Holmes,” she said, and left.
“It’s from Lestrade,” Holmes said. “Come at once to 23 Hill Street. Woman murdered. Well, Watson, the game is afoot.”
We soon arrived on the scene. Inspector Lestrade greeted us at the front door of the victim’s house.
«A bad business, this,” he said. “Messy, too. The poor woman’s head has been shattered like an eggshell. Here’s the murder weapon.” He held out a revolver. Its handle was in blood.
“Any suspects?” Holmes asked.
“None at present, Mr Holmes,” answered the little inspector. “We talked to the servants. They’d been given the night off and were out the whole time. They’ve just come back and found the woman like this.”More »

I met Richards ten or more years ago when I first went down to Cuba. He was a short, sharp-faced, agreeable chap, then about 22. He introduced himself to me on the boat and I was surprised to find that Panamerica Steel was sending us both to the same job.
Richards was from some not very good state university engineering school. Being the same age myself, and just out of technical college I saw at once that his knowledge of engineering was rather poor. I couldn’t imagine how he had managed to get this job.
Richards was naturally likable, and I liked him a lot. The firm had a contract for the construction of a private railroad. For Richards and me it was mostly an easy job of inspections and routine paper work. At least it was easy for me. It was harder for Richards, because he didn’t appear to have mastered the use of a slide rule. When he asked me to check his figures I found his calculations awful. “Boy,” I was at last obliged to say, “you are undoubtedly the silliest white man in this province. Look, stupid, didn’t you ever take arithmetic? How much are seven times thirteen?” “Work that out,” Richards said, “and let me have a report tomorrow.”More »

There was I on the rusty deck of the Maria Bella heading off home. Depressing. The summer was over. Europe was saying an indifferent goodbye. I spat into the ocean and turned my back on Europe.
Africa was waiting on the other side of the strait, just hazy green hills from here. Yet it was a continent, with jungles, deserts, exotic cities, elephants, cannibals …
I was saying good-bye to Africa too — without ever even seeing it. Andy Davis: ex-student, ex-painter. Back to the country which would grab me the second my foot touched the shore. The Army. The job. Responsibilities. I could see it all and I was deeply depressed.
A group of bagged men appeared on the deck. A new passenger? I moved over for a better view. My only fellow passenger was an old French priest with red eyes and not a word of English. Captain Sebastiano spoke a kind of English, but we didn’t understand each other well. So another passenger would really help since I didn’t want to talk to myself.More »

They are making a mistake. I keep telling them, but they just look at me and nod their heads and say yes, we know we’re making a mistake.
Like I had to be humoured or something.
So now I’m going to see Beresford again.
I remember the way he shook my hand that day.
That day. What day? Yesterday. Hell, it seems a year ago.
Well, Beresford said, so you’re leaving us. How does that feel?
I said I felt — but I couldn’t think of the right word.
A million dollars I felt like. I felt like I was God. But these expressions didn’t really express it. At last I got the right word for him.
I feel myself again, I said. He nodded. He knew what I meant. He’d seen my type before.
So there isn’t any doubt they cured me. You don’t get that feeling unless you’re You again.More »

If the one thing in the whole world you’ve always wanted is a crocodile, then here is how to get one.
You don’t even have to leave home. You can send away for it.
You don’t have to tell your parents or grandparents about it. They won’t notice.
When the box comes, open it. But be careful. Don’t throw away the little bird. The bird is the crocodile’s toothpick. He always sits on the crocodile’s back.
Now you have the crocodile. But what will you do with him?
When he is small, he will be a nice pet. Children you’ve never seen before will want to play with you. It’s great for your science project too.More »

Far away and in the mountains there was a castle. In the big castle lived only a man, his cook and his dog. Their names were Wil, Curtis and Pip-Pop. They lived a happy life. Not far from the castle and in the woods there was a pond. Although the pond was small, many creatures lived there: frogs, snakes, fish, flies, worms and even a toad. At the pond creatures were often sad.
One day a frog, two fish and a fly were talking together at the pond. They were not happy.
The frog, whose name was Frankie, jumped onto a lily pad and looked at himself in the water. «Have you seen Curtis from the castle?» he asked. «He has a long, handsome mustache. I don’t like my face. I want a mustache.»
The two fish, whose names were Sheldon and Shanna, swam over to the lily pad. They looked at the frog and then they looked at themselves. «Have you seen Wil from the castle?» they asked. «He has shiny glasses. We don’t like our eyes. We want glasses.»More »